Your love I'll remember forever!
by NanouBE76
Summary: The loves of Annie, Auggie, Eyal and Ryan. There are many different ways to love someone.. as a friend, as family, as a partner and as a lover. There are the kinds of loves that they'll remember forever.
1. Chapter 1

Gabriella fought back with all her might, but he kept coming at her, relentlessly. He grabbed her hair and yanked her back against the wall. He was taller than her by a couple of inches and way more imposing, but her training had given her enough technique to get the upper hand.

She kneed him and punched him in the face. She knew that if she didn't get away from the wall, he'd very quickly put her in a position where it would be at his advantage.

She stepped away from the wall and tried to make way down the alley, but he caught up to her. She elbowed him in the face. She then high kicked him and he stumbled back eyes wide open in a mix of surprise, anger and defiance.

Realizing that he was at risk of being overtaken, he took out a push dagger. The reflection of the moon on its blade was like a streak of lightning in the darkened alley and Gabriella's eyes narrowed as she tried to remain focused.

He lunged at her and she managed to dodge the dagger. He went for her again and she found herself pinned against the wall. His quickness caught her off guard and the dagger penetrated her abdomen, causing a wave of pain she had never felt before in her life, as she let out a grunt of pain. She tried to fight back, but the agony paralyzed her as he pulled it out and stabbed her again, but not as deep as the first impact.

She didn't know if it was the adrenaline kicking in or her survival instinct, but she head-butted him and as he took a few steps back, she grabbed his hand and tried to disarm him. After that, everything went quickly and ultimately, he crashed to the ground as the dagger remained in his heart. It took less than a few seconds to bring him to his death.

In excruciating pain and wiped out, she fell to the ground beside him, on her knees. She tried to catch her breath and naturally brought her hands to her midriff. If her black shirt revealed little of her condition, her hands, wet and sticky from blood and the pain she was feeling were enough to know how bad it was.

Afar, she heard sirens. She propped herself on her knees and checked the pockets of his jacket and pants before finally finding what she had been sent to recuperate.

As she stumbled back down the alley, in the opposite direction from where the sirens were coming from, all she could think about was that nothing had gone according to plan. It was supposed to be an easy mission, in and out of the country in less than a day, nothing more. The contact, that now lay dead in the alley, had tried to kill her. What the hell had happened?! Now, not only was she going to have to lay low for a bit, but she was in desperate need of medical care.

She headed a few yards away into another deserted area and took cover in an alcove. Leaning against the wall, hands shaking and feeling that with every one of her heartbeats, her blood was oozing out of her wounds, she took out the mobile phone from her back-jean pocket.

"Ella, talk to me", she heard once the person on the other line took the call.

"I've got what we were looking for".

"Great, we'll see you tomorrow then".

"There was a complication".

"Ella.. What is it"?

"I'm hurt".

"How bad"? the voice asked concerned.

"Bad enough that I'm losing more blood than I should, I can't fix it on my own and you and I both know I can't go to the hospital".

Her voice was starting to shake, and she was feeling light-headed.

"We've got your coordinates. I'll send you the address of a safe house. It should only be a ten-minute walk. Do you think you can make it"?

"Yeah".

"I'll also get someone over to you to get you medical care".

"Didn't know the CIA had doctors down here", Ella said jokingly.

"Look, right now the most important thing is for you to get to the safe house. You leave the rest up to me. You'll know it's the right guy because he'll know your code name".

"Do you trust who you are sending me"?

"Yes. With my life".

Ella nodded.

"Everything will be fine, and we'll get you home real soon".

"Thanks Annie".

With those last words, Ella hung up and waited for Annie to text her the address of the safe house. She knew Annie had done it quickly, but it seemed like forever to get the information. Maybe it was because of her condition and the fact that everything seemed to be going in slow motion.

She walked as quickly as she could to the location and typed in the code on the keypad. When the door opened, she let herself in and closed it behind her. She searched for the light switch and finally found it. In regular situations she would have been more careful, but there and then, she could have cared less about the bloody fingerprints on it, she'd clean up later.

By the time she had scanned the apartment and removed her jacket, beads of sweat were trickling down her face. She took the flash drive out of her jeans and placed it underneath the fruit that was in a bowl on the kitchen table. She opened the fridge and took out a bottle of water and took a sip.

She then headed towards the bathroom and lifted her shirt. She never got queasy at the sight of blood, but she hadn't been prepared for what she was looking at. The first one was the worst; it was 2 inches wide and approximately 5 inches deep. It was bleeding profusely, and the waistline of her blue jeans were soaked. The second one was less penetrating, and only an inch wide.

She winced and groaned in pain as she delicately put a finger in the biggest of the wounds, checking if she could feel any organ that might have been punctured. Believing that it hadn't been the case, she then grabbed a towel and applied pressure as she headed to lay down on the sofa.

Her phone beeped and she looked at it.

"Help is on the way. Hang tight".

Even though she knew she wasn't out of the woods, she gave a sigh of relief.

Remembering her first aid training, she placed herself flat down on the couch and continued to apply pressure. The minutes dragged on and she found it harder and harder to keep her eyes open and apply pressure. Even though she knew that she could trust Annie, she hoped that whoever was coming, would get there in time.


	2. Chapter 2

She flickered her eyes and they opened slowly. At first things were a bit fuzzy. There was no sound and the room was very poorly lit, just as she remembered it to be. She blinked a couple of times to adjust and stared at the ceiling. The molding was different than she remembered and the sofa way more comfortable.

It only took a couple of seconds for her to realize that she was on the bed. It was obvious that someone had moved her. The medic, she thought to herself. She lowered her neck and looked at her midriff. Her shirt and pants had been removed and two sterile dressings now covered her wounds.

She tried to prop herself up on her elbows to sit up.

"I wouldn't recommend moving just yet", said a man's soft, Middle Eastern voice from the left side of the bed.

As she removed her forearms from the mattress, she turned her head and looked at the man sitting in an armchair next to the bed. He had black hair and dark brown colored eyes. His gaze on her was soft and kind. It was hard to tell from him sitting down, but he looked like he was about 6'1" and of muscular build. He must have been in his early forties. He was the kind of man many women went for, there was something seductive and charming about him.

He stood, grabbed his stethoscope and sat down next to her on the edge of the bed. He pressed the stethoscope down around her chest.

"How are you feeling"? he asked, his eyes never leaving hers.

"Groggy but in less pain than I was before".

"I gave you morphine for the pain".

"How bad was it"?

"Let's just say you were very lucky that I got here when I did. You were still bleeding heavily, and you were unconscious".

He then removed the stethoscope and then pulled down her lower eyelid.

"Still a bit anemic. I might need to transfuse you some more blood tomorrow if that hasn't improved".

"You gave me a blood transfusion"?

"Yes, this morning", he replied as he stood and headed to the armoire to get a bottle of water.

She blinked a couple of times confused. "This morning? Wait, what time is it"?

"It's almost midnight". He handed her the bottle of water.

She looked at him shocked. "How long was I out of it"?

"24 hours".

He saw her eyes search the ceiling as if she was trying to remember things of the past 24 hours that she knew were impossible. Then he saw a quick flash of worry show on her face.

"And don't worry, the blood I gave you was 100% safe".

She took a sip of the water and closed the bottle back up and handed it over to him.

"Of course, I assume you brought some with you from whatever hospital you work at".

He smiled. "You have no idea who I am, do you? Annie didn't tell you"?

"She told me not to worry and that someone would come help me medically". She started to panic. "You are a doctor right"?

As if the fact that it had been a doctor undressing her was a bit more acceptable, instinctively she crossed her arms over her chest. Eyal found it rather amusing but he didn't let it show.

"I think it's time you and I became a bit more acquainted, don't you"?

"Wait, if you're not a doctor, where did the blood come from"?

"It was mine. Not to worry, I'm a universal donor. I donate my blood every month. The blood I gave you is healthy. I just happen to have a buffer stock for occasions like these".

She inhaled deeply as if to calm herself down and stop panicking.

"Annie told me you are Sablo". Interesting code name. Does it mean anything"?

"It means angel of graciousness and protection".

Eyal tilted his head to the side and smiled. "I don't really know you, but I believe it suits you".

Ella smiled back. "My name is Gabriella Peeters".

He smiled. "It's a pleasure to meet you Gabriella. My name is Eyal Lavine".

"You have Israeli origins"?

"100% pure Israeli living in Israel".

"And you just happened to be in Vienna"?

He stood and Ella realized that he was upset about something.

"You should get some more rest".

"Have I said something wrong"?

"No. It's late, we can talk more in the morning".

She simply nodded, clearly realizing that something was off.

"I need to use the bathroom. You think you could help me get there"?

"Of course," he said not changing his attitude or facial expression. He helped her slowly sit up on the bed watching her every facial expression. He then stood in front of her and placed both his hands out for her to take and rise slowly.

The minute she stood, the room started spinning and she squinted her eyes hoping it would stop.

"Take a few seconds. You're still very weak and that blood loss hasn't helped".

She nodded as she looked at him. His eyes never leaving hers with such intensity so that after a while, she couldn't hold his stare anymore and she turned them away.

"It's better thanks".

"I'll help you walk to the door", he replied as he let go of one of her hands and put a strong arm around her waist, helping support her.

His skin on hers was soft and comforting, yet she realized she knew nothing about him. Sure, Annie had said she could trust whoever would come to help her and he had known her code name but who was this guy?

They walked the few steps that lead to the bathroom door. With his free hand, he opened it and then looked at Ella, not certain that she could take it alone past the door.

She must have noticed his hesitation because she put her hand on the doorframe. "I can take it from here. Thanks".

She took baby steps until she was inside, and he closed the door behind her.

At first, she stopped in front of the sink and looked at herself in the mirror. She was ashen as if all the blood in her face had vanished. She looked ghostly.

She then looked at the toilet and knew that this was where things would be the most difficult.

Eyal frowned as he heard her moan and breathe heavily from the pain she was feeling, and he felt helpless. It was one thing to come to her rescue and stitch her up, walking in that bathroom to help her, was an entirely different thing.

A couple of minutes later, the door opened, and he noticed that she was in excruciating pain, even though she was trying not to show it. Brave and strong, she was, he had known men in his life who hadn't been able to endure the pain she was going through.

She remained in the doorframe, her legs shaking and again beads of sweat starting to well up on her forehead. She tried to take a step, but she felt her knees buckle. Eyal caught her and lifted her in his arms.

"I think you've had enough exercise for one day", he said as he walked steadily towards the bed. He delicately lowered her on the bed and then looked at her in the eyes again. There was something magnetic about her and yet he knew he was only witnessing the tip of the iceberg.

He finally took a step back and headed for the bathroom. He came back with a towel and gently dabbed the beads of sweat from her forehead before placing it on the nightstand.

He then went for his bag and came back with a vial and needle.

"I'll give you just a bit more morphine. There's no way you're going to recuperate with that sort of pain or if you don't sleep".

He came to the side of the bed and disinfected the top side of her left arm before doing the injection.

"There, now you should try to get some rest, it should kick in rather quickly", he said as he went to dispose of the needle.

"I'm sorry", he heard her say, making him turn in her direction.

"About what"?

"I've been very inquisitive; occupational hazard, I guess".

The smile that had left his face earlier, appeared for a brief instant although he said nothing in response to what she had just said.

Within a few minutes, her eyes were closed, and her breathing changed, indicating she was sound asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

He headed towards the living room and took his phone out.

"How is she? When I didn't hear back from you, I started to panic".

"That's because I wasn't sure she'd make it, Neshama".

He paused for a second as he looked at Ella from afar.

"And I'm still not a hundred percent sure she's going to make it".

"Why do you say that"?

"Annie, not that I'm trying to downsize the wounds I came across you when we met up, but this one is bad. I've sutured her up, transfused her, but there's always a risk of infection and if that happens, I don't have what she needs".

"Ok, I'll already look into possible options and keep you posted".

"That's not the only thing".

"What"?

"A couple of witnesses saw a woman with Ella's description follow Gurtheimer out of the bar. The police are canvassing the area, it's only a question of time before they come knocking on this door and find her".

"So, in either case scenario, time is our worst enemy".

"It always is Neshama".

He was about to hang up when it dawned on him the real reason behind his call.

"Next time try to give your operative a bit of a head's up as to who I am".

"Remember when I first met you and found out you were Mossad; I didn't really like or trust you"?

"Yeah, I remember".

"Ella and I are made of the same cloth. If I told her, she would have been reluctant to let you help her. Give her some time and trust me, if you get a chance to know her, you won't regret it".

He nodded but said nothing, again looking at Ella from across the room.

"I'll keep you posted", he said finally as he hung up the phone.

Calder walked into Joan's office with Auggie on his arm and was surprised to see Annie there.

"Any news"? he asked.

"She's hanging in there, but she's not out of the woods yet", replied Joan

"We need to get her out of Vienna and somewhere she can get the proper medical care".

"From what I've heard there are two elements not playing in our favor to do that", said Annie.

Calder narrowed his eyes. "Like what"?

"Well for one, she's still too weak. If moving her now lowers her chances of getting through this, we need to get her more time and that is where the other issue comes in".

She paused for a moment and looked at Calder, who looked like he hadn't slept much either in the past 24 hours.

"The local authorities might be on to her. Eyal is hearing murmurs going around".

"I want Ella out of Vienna and sooner rather than later"! he replied as he slammed his open palms down on the desk.

Joan looked at Annie and Auggie. "Will you give us a minute alone"?

"Of course," said Annie. "Let us know if you need anything".

"Actually, I do", said Joan. "I need you to stay as much in contact with Eyal as possible. We may only have a short window of opportunity to get Ella out and he may be the only one who can tell us when that is".

As Annie and Auggie left the room, Calder started pacing the floor.

Joan looked at Calder. "You want to tell me what's going on"?

"There's nothing going on. We have one of our best operatives out there with a Mossad agent and so-called doctor. This was supposed to be a simple mission Joan. We can't let anything happen to her".

"You don't need to remind me what is at stake here, Calder. If there is anything you want to tell me, now's the time", Joan said as she raised an eyebrow.

"That's it, Joan, nothing more nothing less".

"Alright then. I'm going to get in touch with Landstuhl and let them know we may need their medical assistance".

Eyal came in and out of sleep mode and it was around 5 in the morning that he was truly awakened by Ella's moaning and somewhat rattled breathing.

One look at her and he sprung to his feet. She was covered in sweat. He leaned over and placed a hand on her forehead. She was burning up. He then took her pulse that was highly accelerated. He carefully removed the sterile dressing from the most serious wound and saw that it was seeping, not just blood, but also red and swollen.

What he feared and hoped wouldn't happen was happening, she was getting an infection and he didn't have what he needed to help her.

Considering that the police were in the area, he'd have a hard time getting to a pharmacy and steal antibiotics. He paced the floor for a few minutes and then wondered if he hadn't missed something when he sutured her up.

He ran towards the kitchen and opened the first cabinet. He closed it not finding what he was looking for. He then opened the second and found himself again at a loss. He said a silent prayer as he opened the last one and gave a sigh of relief when he found what he was looking for. He grabbed the jar of honey and put it down on the kitchen table.

With one swift move, he sent the rest of what was on the table to the ground. The fruit bowl broke sending the fruit and the USB drive across the floor. Eyal noticed the flash drive, he knelt and took it in his hands then looked at Ella. He placed it in his jean pocket and fetched his bag.

He placed it on the table and took out gloves, a scalpel, medical pliers, gauze, disinfectant, a small flashlight baton and his suture kit.

He walked over to the bed and lifted carefully Ella into his arms and walked over to the table where he placed her.

Even though he knew she was unconscious, what he was about to do to her would bring excruciating pain. As if to ask for forgiveness ahead of time, he caressed the side of her face. "I'm sorry".

He cut the sutures and then disinfected abundantly the wound. He grabbed the scalpel and briefly closed his eyes as he held it in his hand in midair above the wound.

When the scalpel hit the skin and started to cut, Ella's moaning and groaning increased. Once the wound was opened, he turned the flashlight on and searched the inside of the wound, with the help of his fingers. After a few minutes, when he was about to give up, something caught his attention.

He placed the flashlight between his teeth and grabbed the pliers. Delicately he introduced the pliers through the opening and grabbed what he had seen. Carefully pulling them out, he looked at what he had retrieved, the tip of the knife or dagger that had wounded Ella.

He opened the honey jar and scooped out some with his fingers and covered the wound with it before suturing it back up.

He then sat down on the chair exhausted from what he had just performed.


	4. Chapter 4

He was just about to call Annie with an update when he heard police sirens stopping further down the street and sprang into action.

He looked out the window. The cops were a dozen houses down, one team on each side of the street. If his calculations were about right, they had fifteen minutes before they got to where they were. He needed to get them out of there.

He opened Ella's bag, on the kitchen counter, and pulled out a clean tank top and pair of jeans. Just as he had undressed her, the day before, he dressed her back up. He then placed her bag inside his, put on his jacket and lifted Ella in his arms.

He walked out of the building using the back entrance that led to a side street near where he had parked his car.

With Ella laying in the backseat of the car, he drove off towards a quiet area and pulled over.

"Annie"?

"Eyal, I'm going to put you on speaker phone", she said as she waved over Joan and Calder.

"Eyal, it's Joan Campbell. What is the situation"?

"We had to leave the safe house. The cops were searching every single house of the street".

"What is Ella's condition"?

"Not good, the infection has settled in and she's in desperate need of large spectrum antibiotics".

"You need to take her to Landstuhl", said Joan. "I've advised them of the situation, and they'll be waiting for you".

"That is eight hours away. With all due respect, I'm not sure she'll be able to hang in there that long".

"Eyal, head towards Germany, we'll call you back in maximum thirty minutes with an alternative solution".

"Alright", said Eyal as he hung up and started the car back up, direction towards the west.

"With the agreement of the German authorities, we could get a medevac chopper waiting for them just after the border crossing. Ella could already get the care she needs on board and it'll be quicker to get back to Landsthul".

Joan shook her head. "Going through the bureaucracy is going to take forever. We need to sidetrack the hierarchy and go directly to someone who can give us the green light".

Calder looked at Joan. "I doubt they'll let an American chopper land on German territory. However, I know someone rather high up in the German Army, they may be able to get one at the border and drop them off just outside the base in Landstuhl".

"You think your guy can do this"?

"He owes me a big favor. It doesn't hurt to try".

Joan nodded. "Alright call him and see what can be done. When we know more, I'll update Landstuhl and Annie you'll update Eyal".

Calder closed the door of his office, picked up the phone and dialed a number.

"Friedrich Schröder, please".

He tapped his fingers on the desk as he waited to be put through.

"Friedrich, Calder Michaels".

"Calder, long time no speak my friend. What can I do for you"?

"I need your help and I was hoping I could cash in that favor"?

"What would you need"?

Calder explained in detail what the situation was, what was needed and in what time frame.

"You're practically asking me for a miracle Calder".

"I know I'm asking for a lot but let me remind you that I saved your life".

"And you're using that favor not for yourself but for a CIA operative. She must be an amazing operative".

Calder looked out the window, lost in his thoughts.

"Yes, she is".

There was a moment of silence on the other side of the line.

"Alright my friend, I'll make sure that they are taken care of the minute they cross the border. They're coming in from Vienna. It should take them approximately 2 and a half hours. What you need to understand is that I can't allow that chopper to land on American territory".

"I understand perfectly well, and I can't thank you enough for what I'm asking you to do. An ambulance will meet you to take over. Thank you, Friedrich".

An hour into his trip towards the German border, Eyal stopped the car and checked on Ella. She still had a temperature, but the wound looked a lot better than earlier. He took his handkerchief from his jacket pocket and poured water over it. He then wrung it and placed it on her forehead.

Fifteen minutes later his phone rang.

"Eyal, there will be a German Army Medevac chopper waiting for you and Ella just after the border crossing. They'll fly you just outside of Landstuhl where an ambulance will be waiting to take you to the hospital".

"Thanks Annie. I'll get in touch when we get to the hospital".

A few miles away from the border, he again stopped and removed his handkerchief from her forehead and placed a blanket over her. He then took out his German passport from out of his bag and Ella's passport from out of hers and blinked upon seeing it was a Belgian one. Even better and easier, he thought to himself.

He slowly proceeded towards the border inspection and stopped when the guard raised his hand.

"Guten tag. Kann ich bitte Ihren Pass sehen"?

"Natürlich", replied Eyal in perfect German as he handed over the two passports.

The guard looked at Eyal's passport then at him and nodded. He then took Ella's passport and searched the car for her. Eyal pointed to the backseat.

"Meine verlobte. Wir hatten eine geschäftige Nacht, wenn Sie sehen, was ich meine (My fiancée. We had a busy night, if you see what I mean)", said Eyal with a big grin and wink.

The guard smiled back. "Glücklicher Mann (lucky man)".

"Sie haben keine ahnung (you have no idea)".

The guard handed Eyal the passports back. "Einen schönen Tag noch, Herr Schmitt (Have a nice day Mister Schmitt).

"Danke", replied Eyal as he put the car in gear and crossed over into Germany.

A couple of yards away, he noticed the chopper and stopped the car alongside the road near it. He took their things and waved them over as he opened the back door.

The medical team met up with him carrying the stretcher.

Once Gabriella was safely secured inside the helicopter, it lifted off the ground towards Landstuhl. Fifteen minutes later, it landed just outside of the base where an ambulance was waiting for them.

Joan and Annie walked into the meeting room. Calder who was looking out the window, turned and looked at them.

"Gabriella is in the Intensive Care Unit as we speak. She's still unconscious but they're hopeful that she is going to make it".

Calder let out a sigh of relief. "That's great news. Did they say when they could bring her back to DC"?

"They need to stabilize her as well as the infection before then. Maybe a couple of days".

Eyal entered Gabriella's room, with a cup of coffee in hand. He checked the monitors and realized she was stable. Even though he didn't know her more than that, he knew that she was alone. He took her hand in his. He remained like that for a while, his eyes never leaving her. Unfortunately, he was forced to do so when his phone rang.

He listened but said nothing. When the call ended, he stood, leaned over Gabriella and caressed her face.

"Kol Tuv (be well)".

He walked towards the door and gave one last look at her. "Mal'achit".


	5. Chapter 5

There was a knock on the door. Ella rose slowly from the sofa and walked over slowly towards it. She had been back only a couple of hours in DC, she was better, but she was exhausted from everything that had happened a couple of days before.

She looked at the clock on the wall. It was half past ten. Even though she was tired, she had been restless. She had tried to fall asleep in bed, then the sofa and had finally given up trying. She figured that eventually sleep would find her.

She looked through the peep hole and then opened the door, revealing Calder on the other side of it.

She took a step back, allowing him to enter the apartment and watched as he closed the door behind him.

In one stride he took her in his harms and hugged her carefully. Not letting go of her, he pulled his face away from her shoulder and looked at her.

"Are you alright"?

She nodded.

He placed his hand on the side of her neck and caressed her cheek with his thumb, then gently brought his lips to hers.

There was no passion, simply love and tenderness, which was somehow new to them. Their relationship had been nothing but intense and passionate over the past three months, but then again, she wasn't back to being herself physically. It wasn't that their relationship was solely built on sex, far from it, but the sex was more than great.

They stopped kissing and he buried his eyes in hers.

"I was afraid you were asleep. Forgive me if I woke you, but these past few days, I've been like a lion in a cage. Knowing what happened to you and that I couldn't be with you was torture".

She caressed the side of his face and smiled.

"I know. Don't worry, I haven't been able to sleep".

He nodded, understanding what she meant, then smiled. "Tell you what, why don't you go sit down comfortably in bed and I'll make you your favorite hot chocolate. What do you say"?

She smiled back. "Fine but only if you add those small marshmallows".

"Deal", he said as he let go of her, removed his suit jacket and placed it on one of the highchairs near the kitchen island.

He watched as she walked slowly, and a bit hunched over towards the bedroom. As he opened the kitchen cabinet to take the box of Swiss Miss, he heard her moan. He put the box down and walked over. She turned and looked at him from the edge of the bed.

"I'm fine. Standing and sitting is still a bit painful. I've got this".

He headed back and put the kettle on and while the water heated, he poured the contents of the bag into a mug then went to find the marshmallows that were in their usual spot.

He brought her the mug, removed his shoes, tie and rolled up the cuff of his shirt up till just below the elbows, before sitting down next to her.

She saw his eyes drift to her midriff and knew what he was wondering.

"Trust me it's not that nice to see. It sure has tainted the landscape".

He cocked his head to the side. "Is that what you're worried about? You think that your scars are going to change how attracted am I to you and how beautiful you are"?

She stared down in her mug. "I know they bother me and it's not like they are going to disappear magically".

"Ella, we all have scars, some visible and others not. For me they are a reminder of your strength and that you survived what happened in Vienna".

She smiled.

"Show me", he said gently, more as an invitation than an obligation.

She placed the mug on the nightstand then delicately took the hem of her shirt between her fingers and lifted it. She looked at him, interpreting his every single facial expression. She didn't see the slightest hint of disgust from him, only anger and rage as he clenched his jaws, his nostrils flared, and he narrowed his eyes.

He then softened his expression as he let his fingers gently trace around the bigger of the two scars. He then looked at her.

"Never, ever think that you are no longer beautiful in my eyes", he said as he planted a kiss on her forehead.

As she lowered her shirt, she felt relieved. Calder was right, everyone had scars and she physically knew where some of his were.

He put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her in against his chest. They remained liked that for a while, just taking the moment in. Feeling safe, she felt herself relax and the fatigue slowly inched its way.

"I'm going to try and get some sleep", she said as she sat up and let her body slide down deeper in the bed.

"I can't promise you I'll be here when you wake up, but I'll stay as long as I can".

"I know", she said as she turned on her side.

She felt him shift next to her as he took the same position behind her and draped his arm over her side and take her hand in his.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Three weeks later:**_

Ella handed Calder a cup of coffee. He planted a delicate kiss on her forehead.

He then took a sip and looked at his watch, it was almost half past seven.

"What does your day look like"? he asked her.

"Nothing planned this morning. I've got an appointment with Doctor Gillis at 2. I'm hoping he'll finally give me the green light to go back to work".

He frowned. "I'm sorry I can't come with you, but I'll be in back to back meetings all day".

She smiled. "I know. The CIA never stops turning".

He put his jacket on, grabbed his sunglasses and car keys. He briefly took her in his arms and planted a soft but furtive kiss on her lips. She watched him walk out of the apartment. Something was different. He had been distant for the past two weeks. She knew he was under a lot of pressure at work and that her injury and condition had worried him. She shook away her worry as her mobile phone rang.

It was approximately quarter to eleven when she stepped out onto the street. Doctor Gillis' office had called saying that someone had cancelled their appointment and asking her to come in earlier. She was in great spirits. Doctor Gillis had given her the green light and she couldn't wait to get back to work, even if she still needed to take things easy for another week. Her stomach growled; she was hungry.

She decided to walk in the beautiful spring sun towards a small sandwich place she knew a few streets away. As she headed there, she was in her happy little bubble, carefree. The laughter of a woman caught her attention and she turned her eyes across the street, smiling at the happiness of whoever this woman was.

Slowly, her smile faded, and she felt the hunger disappear in her stomach and be replaced by a huge weight. She stood paralyzed, watching, from the other side of the street, as the scene unfolded in front of her.

When she had seen enough, she started to walk away. Far enough away to hail a cab without being seen.

Calder opened the door to Ella's apartment. He headed for the kitchen bar stool and removed his jacket and placed the keys on the countertop.

"I'm sorry I'm so late, I got caught up in a meeting".

"Ella"? He called out as he put his phone down.

Something moved and he noticed it from the corner of his eye. He turned towards the bedroom and saw Ella standing against the doorframe impassive.

He was about to say something when he noticed his sports bag, in the middle of the room.

"I thought I'd help you save some time, so I packed up your things for you".

He blinked a couple of times unsure of how to react.

She eyed him. Still not leaving the doorframe as she bit her bottom lip.

"Shortly after you left, Doctor Gillis' office called, they had an earlier opening and wondered if I'd be interested in taking the slot. I left his office quite happy, I mean after all these weeks, I finally heard what I wanted to hear. As I walked around, I realized, other people around me were happy too, especially a beautiful woman in a passionate embrace with her lover, just outside of her apartment building".

Calder closed his eyes briefly and realized he had majorly fucked up.

"I guess, you thought since my appointment in the city was in the afternoon that the coast was clear. Life is funny that way isn't it, with its sick sense of humor. Had my appointment not changed, I wouldn't have found out and I'd be the fool".

"At first, I beat myself up about it, thinking it was my fault. I know I've been different since what happened in Vienna and things have been somewhat on standby in that particular area. But you know what? None of this is on me. It's all on you. Whether you can't stay away from her, because after all this time she's gotten under your skin or if it's because you weren't able to be patient when it came to me, in the end it doesn't matter. You aren't the man for me, and you never will be".

"Ella…", he started out.

"Don't! Whatever lame excuse you're going to sell, me, I don't want to hear it", she said firmly. "We'll keep it professional at work, but right now, all I want is for you to leave your key on the counter, take your bag and leave. Maybe Stephanie will have room in one of her drawers for your things".

Without giving him a second look, she turned and headed back into her bedroom, quietly closing the door behind her. This wasn't a fight. There would be no yelling, no tears, no slamming of doors, in the end, she would heal, like for everything else.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Two months later**_

"Remind me why, I agreed to let you hook me up with Dwayne"? Ella asked as she grabbed her bottle of beer and stared down Annie.

"Dwayne is a nice guy and he's also part of the house".

"I see, so just because he's CIA, it makes him the perfect candidate for me to get back in the saddle"?

Annie grimaced. "I take it, things didn't go too well"?

Ella leaned in. "He spent the entire hour-long dinner talking about his stamp and coin collection, he spends hours taking care of every night".

Annie's eyes grew big in disbelief. "Are you serious? We're talking about Dwayne, the good-looking guy from archives".

"Hey, never judge a book by its cover, Annie. But, let me just say, that I didn't order dessert". She took a sip of her beer. "Do me a favor, no more matchmaking alright, I'll find my prince charming on my own".

"Got it".

Annie looked at her phone. "Oh, by the way, I forgot to tell you, I got a call from Eyal the other day, he asked how you were doing".

Ella's eyebrow lifted but she said nothing.

"What"? asked Annie.

Ella shrugged.

"Wait, you're still mad at me for not telling you in advance who I was sending you"?

"I looked like a fool, talking to him as if he was a doctor. I mean he undressed me, I was in my bra and panties".

Annie laughed. "Well, if it's any consolation, he also gave me a hard time about not informing you". Annie looked out towards the other side of the bar. "Promise, next time, I'll send Auggie, he won't see you in your bra and panties"!

Ella shook her head and started to laugh.

"Speak of the devil", said Annie as Auggie and Joan joined them.

"What were you two talking about"? asked Auggie.

"Nothing extraordinary aside from finding ourselves in less than perfect situations".

Auggie grimaced, "I'm not even going to ask".

Joan looked at Ella. "I'm surprised you're still here. Aren't you supposed to be at the Belgian Embassy"?

Ella's eyes shot wide open as she looked at her watch. "Shit! I completely forgot". She looked at Joan. "Can I not go"?

Joan tilted her head to the side. "Ella, you know what the consequences will be if you don't show up. And I think neither you nor I want Hans Beekman on our back".

Ella rolled her eyes.

"Just go for a couple of hours, rub him the right way and then leave if you find the evening utterly boring".

She grabbed her jacket and bag. "Alright. I doubt there'll be anything exciting worth keeping me there longer than an hour or two".

Joan smiled as she watched Ella leave. "And be nice, you're also there representing the CIA".

They all laughed as Ella waved a carefree hand over the side of her head.

She headed home and pulled out one of her evening gowns, high heel shoes and clutch. She showered in record time, put on a bit of makeup and got dressed.

At 8 o'clock when she walked out of the apartment building the private car service she had booked as she had gotten home, was waiting for her.

When she reached the Embassy, a valet opened the door and she kindly accepted his hand to step out of the car. She looked at the Belgian flag hoisted on flagpole before walking the few steps that led to the Embassy doors. Soft music could be heard coming from the inside as she reached the door and was greeted by MPs and the security service.

"Your ID or passport please, Miss"?

Ella took out both and handed them over to the guard.

He looked at her then at both of her identification documents. She could understand his confusion.. They weren't from the same nationality.

"Ella"! she heard from behind the guard.

She leaned to the side, not so much to see who it was, she knew who it was, but to give a warm smile to her friend.

The man in his late forties walked up to the guard. "She's clear, you can let her in".

The guard handed her back her IDs and she placed them carefully in her clutch and then met up with Maxime.

"I'm terribly sorry, but Hans seems to be a bit paranoid for the moment and he's upped the security".

"No harm done, you know if anyone here gets it, it's me".

He took her in a warm embrace, which she returned. Most people would raise an eyebrow, but Maxime was happily married to his husband Fabio and it was all but platonic. Ella had met Maxime many years ago and even though they didn't see each other as often as they should, they were still close.

"Speaking of Hans, where is he"? asked Ella.

"He's in some sort of last-minute phone conference with the Minister of the interior, back home".

Ella pretended to be offended by the fact he hadn't greeted her.

Max nudged her. "Don't give me your two-cent acting performance. I know you'd prefer being home then spend an evening trying to prove yourself to Hans".

They walked into the ballroom and Ella looked around, things were still a bit quiet on the guest front.

"You know me too well, but then again I wouldn't see you. Always try to see the silver lining in things Max. Life is too short not to".

Someone called out Max's name and he looked at Ella. "It seems as though my presence is needed up front. Make yourself at home and you and I will catch up on more personal things later".

Ella smiled, nodded and he quickly planted a kiss on her cheek before scooting away.


	8. Chapter 8

She elegantly walked over to the bar.

"A Bellini, please", she asked the waiter.

As she waited for her drink, she smiled and nodded at various people entering the ballroom and taking notice of her presence. Most of them were men; powerful businessmen, either Belgian or doing business with Belgium. Some of these men didn't care that they were accompanied with their wives, girlfriends or date of the evening, as they ogled Ella in her beautiful royal blue, off-the-shoulder, open back, and jersey floor-length with sweep train dress. Ella knew that she had that effect on men and she didn't really relish in it. Ever since she had been young, men had been drawn to her. They had often told her that is wasn't just regarding her natural beauty but the charm that emitted from her. She was very much like a magnet and she knew that dressed as she was, with her hair up in a messy bun, and prompted up on her matching colored strappy high heel shoes, didn't dim the magnetism, it only enhanced it.

She was more than certain that before the evening was over, many of those men would have made contact. She was alone and an easy prey for predators like them. The advantage of being a so-called magnet, made it that she had met many, many men ever since she had been old enough to date and generally knew which ones were trouble and those who were a bit less.

"A beautiful woman like yourself, alone at the bar is a sad sight to see", she heard a man's suave voice say from behind her. The voice intrigued her. Even though the come-on line was not very researched, she turned around a smile on her face, always pleasant with others, here especially... Hans could be anywhere.

Her smile grew bigger upon seeing the man standing next to her, peering over her just as big a smile as hers on his face.

The waiter returned with her Bellini.

"A martini for me, on the rocks, please".

"What are you doing here"? she asked him as he got closer to her.

"I could ask you the same question"?

"I asked you first", she replied.

"Ladies first", he retorted.

She took a sip of her cocktail as he received his from the waiter.

"I'm here doing my patriotic duty".

"Seriously? And here I thought you were on a secret mission for the CIA".

"Not tonight. You're turn".

"Would you believe me, if I said I knew you'd be here tonight, and I wanted to see how you were since our last encounter"?

"It would be very flattering, but men like you usually have an alternative agenda".

He took a step closer to her. "Men like me? Should I be flattered"?

"I don't know if it's your training, but you are very sure of yourself and somewhat cocky. So, even if I believe my being here is pleasant, I doubt that it's the main reason for your presence here tonight".

"I need to get into Hans Beekman's office", said Eyal.

Ella raised an eyebrow and started to laugh.

"Just that.. and how do you plan on doing that? And why do you need to go into his office"?

"Unfortunately, men like me don't share that kind of information".

She smirked, she had apparently touched a sensitive chord and it thrilled her to see that she was able to rattle him. She then realized that she had come on a bit too strongly. After all, he had saved her life.

"Look, all I'm saying is that I know Hans well, maybe there are things I know that I can tell you or maybe help you get information".

"You're here as a patriot, you said so yourself. I doubt you're going to help me put your Ambassador behind bars". He started to walk away. She gently put her hand on his shoulder, he stopped and turned around.

"Look, I don't appreciate you thinking that because he's Belgian that I would close my eyes on something terrible enough for the Mossad to be investigating. I'm just curious as to why the CIA didn't pick up on anything".

"You're right, my apologies, that wasn't fair of me". He watched as a man came up to the bar and literally drool over Ella. Eyal frowned and then took Ella's hand and brought her to a corner of the room.

"You shouldn't be here alone", said Eyal. "You're not safe. Half of these men are thinking of what they want to do with you".

Ella rolled her eyes. "And not you"?

"Don't answer that", said quickly Ella as she saw him smile and the sparkle in his eye. "Besides, I can fend for myself".

She saw Eyal think for a few seconds. "Are you sure about that? Last time I saw you, you were almost dead".

"Is that what all this is about? Because I didn't thank you for saving my life"?

"Maybe, I haven't decided yet".

"Kind of hard to thank someone who's vanished and didn't leave any contact details", she said sarcastically.

"Point taken. Can we get back to Hans"?

"You're the one who's busy trying to be my bodyguard. I'm all ears".

"We need intel on what we believe Hans' side activity to be".

"You want to be a bit more specific"?

"Trafficking of women", replied Eyal as he scanned the room.

"What? Wait a minute, Hans a human trafficker"?

"We have some evidence, but we need to get into his private quarters and get intel on his phone and computer".

"I know you're good", she paused for a second, "actually, I don't know that you're good at what you do, but let's assume it's the case. You've got more security and MPs here tonight than ever. Getting upstairs into his quarters is nearly impossible. It's suicide. On top of that he's a diplomat. He's untouchable".

"Not to the Mossad and not if I can draw him out and get him to Israel. I'll find a way to get into that office".

There was something in his eyes that called out to her and she understood. Regardless of the fact that human trafficking was an abomination, it could have been his sister, his niece, a friend that could be the next victim. She doubted that the Mossad would go after Hans if they weren't nearly certain that he was involved.

She caught sight of Hans and Max at the entrance of the ballroom. Her mind went into gameplay and she turned towards Eyal.

"What's your cover"?

"Decker Schmitt, owner of a German import-export company that works closely with Belgium".

She saw Hans and Max get nearer to them.

"Do you trust me"? she asked him as she smiled at him and placed herself in front of him.

"I'm willing to try".

"Good, get your improvisation game on", she said.


	9. Chapter 9

"Ella!"

She turned around and smiled broadly. "Hans"!

He kissed her on both cheeks.

"Ik ben erg blij dat je vanavond hier bent". (I'm so happy that you came tonight).

"Ik zal het voor niets ter wereld missen ». (I wouldn't miss it for the world).

"Jullie Nederlandse toon is perfect". "Your Dutch is perfect"

"Wat had je verwacht? Ik ben tenslotte Belgische". (What did you expect? I am Belgian after all).

Hans nodded. "You are right, I'm sorry. I seem to forget that ever since you took on both nationalities".

She smiled back. "And both nationalities have their equal importance to me".

"And here I was going to offer you my company for the evening", he looked at Eyal, "but it appears as though someone has beat me to it".

"How rude of me. Hans, I'd like you to meet Herr Decker Schmitt, my fiancé".

Both Maxime and Hans looked at Eyal then Ella.

Eyal put his hand out.

"Hans Beekman, it's a pleasure to meet you Herr Schmitt".

He then turned to Ella. "I didn't see a plus one on your RSVP".

Eyal put his arm lovingly and protectively around Ella.

"Decker is a very busy businessman; his presence wasn't sure. Imagine the amazing surprise of seeing him when I got here".

"What is it that you do Herr Schmitt"? asked Hans suspiciously.

"I facilitate important import and export between Belgium and Germany. Schmitt International GmbH".

Ella saw Hans search his memory.

"Of course, chemicals and pharmaceutical products alongside energy related products".

Eyal smiled and nodded. "Absolutely".

"My apologies Herr Schmitt, I should have known immediately who you were".

"No harm done".

Hans looked at Ella in a way that made Eyal uncomfortable. It was the look of a predator, but not like he had seen on the face of other men tonight, it was way worse. It made him want to punch Hans, even kill him on the spot.

"How did you meet"? asked Max.

"In Germany two years ago at a medical conference in Landstuhl", replied Ella. "I fell for him immediately".

"Schatz (Sweetheart), I noticed you first", said Eyal. "I think Ambassador Beekman and Maxime would agree with me that it would have been impossible for me not to fall in love with you".

Hans and Max nodded.

"Enjoy the rest of your evening", said Hans. "Ella, I'm looking forward to seeing you again soon. Don't won't until next year to stop by and visit. Max and I always enjoy your company".

Ella nodded.

"Herr Schmitt, all the best to you and Ella, and we thank you in advance for your business partnership with our country. It's great that our two great nations work hand in hand".

"I agree", said Eyal as he shook again Hans' hand.

"Hey Max, you've got a minute"? asked Ella as they started to walk away.

"For you, of course".

Ella turned to Eyal. "I'll only be a minute and then I promise you've got my undivided attention for the next couple of hours".

Eyal smiled warmly and headed towards the bar to get another drink.

Max nudged Ella. "How come you didn't say anything"?

"What"?

"He is perfect for you, Ella. I knew something was different about you when you walked in".

"What are you talking about? I'm like I always am".

"No. Something has changed, and I see why now".

Ella smiled than sighed.

"What is it"? asked Max.

"Nothing, Decker is flying out in a couple of hours".

"What? I though he just got here"?

"I know. It's not easy all the time. He travels a lot", she looked at Max. "But then again you know what that's like with Fabio".

Fabio was a flight attendant and she knew it was not always easy for Max to see him so little.

"Don't mention it. He couldn't be here tonight, and, in all honesty, I don't know when he'll be able to stop by DC".

"Max, can I ask a favor of you? Friend to friend"?

"For you ma chérie, I would do anything, you know that".

"I'm sorry to ask but do you think there's a place where Decker and I could spend some time alone, away from the crowd"?

"You are calling out to my romantic heart aren't you"?

"Is it working"? asked Ella smiling.

"Yes, just promise me you'll be discreet and if anyone asks, I have no idea what's going on".

She kissed Max on the cheek. "Merci mon ami". (Thank you my friend).


	10. Chapter 10

She joined Eyal at the bar and put herself as close to him as possible. He caressed the side of her face, both still playing their part. She then took his hand and led him quickly and discreetly down a corridor, to a flight of stairs.

"There's a secret hallway that leads upstairs to the different offices and Hans' quarters".

"How did you get that intel"? asked Eyal as they progressed upstairs.

"I simply called out to my friend's soft heart and told him that Decker was leaving the country in a couple of hours and I wanted to have some intimacy with my fiancé".

Ella checked the hallway before opening the door to Hans' office and letting them in.

"Thanks for giving me the heads' up about being your fiancé", said Eyal jokingly as he looked around the desk first.

"I don't recall you asking me my permission to sell that as our cover on the Austrian-German border".

Eyal momentarily stopped rummaging through Hans' papers and looked at Ella who was standing across the room near one of his file cabinets.

"You heard and understood that? I thought you were unconscious".

"I came in and out of it, but when you mentioned the name Schmitt earlier, it kind of came back to me. Ich kann Deutsch sprechen, Herr Schmitt". (I can speak German, Mr. Schmitt).

He smiled knowing damn well that what he had said had been stupid. "Of course, you do. It's one of the three official languages in Belgium".

She closed the file cabinet. "He wouldn't leave a paper trail, it's too dangerous".

"Agree, but I don't see a laptop".

"It won't be on his laptop either, just as risky. Anyone, including Max can access his laptop".

"Then what are we looking for"?

He saw Ella kneel next to the couch and hold a wire, which looked a lot like a charging cable, in her hand. He joined her as she followed it to removable panel in the ground just next to the couch. She lifted the panel.

She lifted the Ipad from within the secret location and showed it to Eyal. "This is what we're looking for".

"You're a genius", he said as he took it and pulled out an electronic device from his pocket and plant it in the USB port.

"How long is that going to take"? asked Ella as she headed for the door.

"A few minutes to download what's on it and another couple of minutes to upload spyware".

Ella nodded. "We're all clear for the moment", she said as she looked through the keyhole out into the corridor.

"Thank you", she said softly.

"For what? I should be the one thanking you. You've made this a lot easier than if I'd been on my own".

"For saving my life back in Vienna. I know that I must have seemed rude or ungrateful when I realized you weren't really a doctor. If I'm here today, it's mostly because of you and for that I am grateful. I guess you can say that I owe you one".

He looked up at her and saw a vulnerability in her that didn't leave him insensitive to her, more than he already was.

"I'll remember that and cash in that favor".

She looked again through the keyhole and saw a guard and Hans at the end of the corridor.

"Incoming", she said as she headed towards him.

"I need a few more minutes", he said as he looked at the Ipad.

"Well, you don't have a few more minutes. They'll be here in less than a minute".

Eyal looked at her as he placed the Ipad on the desk. "Now it's your turn to trust me".

"What"? she said, but before she could get an answer out of him, he had lifted her and sat her on the desk, directly over the Ipad, removed his jacket and tie and had unbuttoned his shirt.

She sat there staring at his bare chest.

As he heard the voices get closer, he placed himself in between her legs, unzipped the back of her dress and when the door opened, he was kissing her, his hands caressing her back. Luckily, her hands had naturally gone to his chest and back and she was responding to his kiss.

"Mais"!? (What the?!), said Hans as he opened the door and witnessed the scene.

He turned the light on and Eyal and Ella stopped what they were doing, appearing to be surprised and somewhat embarrassed by the intrusion.

"Ella"? said Hans realizing it was her.

Ella's eyes shot wide open. "Oh, how embarrassing. Hans, I'm terribly sorry".

Eyal watched as Hans' eyes strayed to Ella's bare lower back and glistened with desire.

"I'll give you a few minutes to arrange yourself", said Hans as he and the guard walked out and closed the door.

Eyal nonchalantly zippered Ella's dress back up and removed her from the desk as he grabbed the flash drive and removed it from the Ipad. He handed it to Ella and let her place it back as she had found it, while he buttoned up his shirt, put his tie and jacket back on.

Hans and the guard were waiting just outside the door when Eyal opened it.

Eyal gave Hans a broad and victorious smile as he passed in front of him, Ella following suit.

"Ella? Une minute de ton temps, s'il te plait » (Ella, a minute of your time please), said Hans as she passed in front of him.

Ella looked at Eyal and nodded at him with a smile on her face. "I'll meet you downstairs in a few minutes".

He nodded in understanding although he didn't feel comfortable about leaving Ella alone with Hans. But as the guard showed him down the corridor, he knew he didn't have a choice and started to walk away. When he turned his head around, he saw Hans close the door behind them.

Ella stood a few feet away from Hans. "Just so that we're clear", she said, "I'm sorry you walked in on us, but not sorry for what we were doing".

Hans neared her. "Ma chérie, you are right, you shouldn't be. I am a man like Herr Schmitt, and I would also find it very difficult to keep my hands off you and my desire for you under lock".

Upon saying those words, not only did he undress her with his eyes, but he got much closer than she wanted him to.

"I, like you, don't want this to become awkward or some sort of diplomatic incident. I'm willing to keep this between us", he said as he placed both his hands on her bare shoulders and gently rubbed his thumbs over her skin.

In his early forties, like Ella, Hans was a very attractive man. Tall, muscular, blond wavy hair and blue eyes, the typical Flemish. No one would even imagine that he was an Ambassador. Most woman wanted to be the center of his attention but not Ella. The way he was coming on to her just then, the way he intruded her comfort zone as if he owned her, confirmed that he was an Alpha predator.

Suddenly, the crime Eyal was potentially accusing him of, seemed more and more plausible.

Ella smiled and nodded with gratefulness. "Thank you, Hans. I truly appreciate it".

She stepped away and headed for the door.

When she almost reached it, he grabbed her arm and yanked it so hard that she pivoted. He pinned her against the door, placed each of his arms alongside her and buried himself into her.

"Of course, that comes with a price".

Ella swallowed.

"Max has mentioned that Decker is often away on business, pity for him, but entirely to my advantage. I want you Ella and you are going to give me what I want, sooner rather than later".

He leaned in and planted his face in the nook of her neck. "I'm looking forward to our intimate moments together", he whispered, letting his breath linger on her neck. "I'm a very powerful man Ella, I can make your life miserable".

He stepped back and opened the door for her.

"A bientôt Ella," (See you soon Ella), he said as he watched her walk out of the office.

When she reached downstairs, Eyal was pacing the floor in the main hall, waiting for her. Even though he was still playing his role, he met her at the bottom of the stairs and looked at her, he was concerned, and there was something very different about her attitude.

"Ella"?

She smiled and looked at him. "Everything is fine. We should leave".

He noticed the red hand mark on her arm and narrowed his eyes. He then felt a presence looking at them. He lifted his head and saw Hans standing at the balcony, watching them.

"We are going separate ways, remember you're flying back to Germany tonight", she said discreetly.

"What about Hans"? he asked.

"I can handle Hans. The most important thing is that you go back with the intel you got and whatever the spyware will give you and get him for his crime".

He nodded and tightened his jaw.

"If he touches you again, I'll kill him".

"You won't need to because it will never happen again".

He searched her eyes and knew she was lying, and he wasn't sure as to why.

"Don't forget to kiss me before we walk out of here", she said with a soft laugh. "We are engaged after all".

He took her in his arms, knowing full well that Hans was watching them. "I'd still kiss you even if we weren't engaged", he said just prior to his lips touching hers.

"I'll call you when I land", he said loud enough for Hans to hear, as he parted from Ella. "Ich liebe dich". (I love you).

She watched him walk out the front door, flabbergasted and confused. Was it her, or had there been something different about that kiss? She walked to the door and looked around for him, but he was gone. She turned around and looked up at the balcony. Hans was still standing there watching her. She narrowed her eyes, then in turn headed out the door.


	11. Chapter 11

Ella stared at the computer screen in front of her. Her mind was elsewhere. And she knew exactly where it was. She couldn't help but relive the evening at the Embassy. It had been a week and even though she knew it wasn't supposed to be that way, she was disappointed about not hearing back from Eyal. If at least not on a personal matter, on the common interest they had in Hans.

Hans, on the other hand, was the unpleasant memory of that night. Every time her mind wandered to Eyal's chest, his lips on hers, his caress on her back, which were all a masquerade, what had happened after with Hans, came hurling her back to reality. He hadn't reached out to her either and she was more than relieved.

Annie sat down on the desk and waved her hand in front of Ella's face.

"Earth to Ella, come in please"?

Ella snapped out of it. "I'm here. Sorry".

"Everything alright"? asked Annie. "You've been a bit absent-minded these past couple of days".

"Just got a few things on my mind is all. What's up on your end"?

"Did you have a run in with Eyal recently"?

Ella swallowed and blinked a couple of times before shaking her head.

"No. Why"?

"I don't know, he sent me a text message asking me if you were alright".

"He did? When"?

"Last night. I found it odd".

Ella nodded. "Me too. Do you think it's a sort of way for him to point out that I never thanked him for saving my life"?

Annie narrowed her eyes and thought for a moment.

"Maybe. Come to think of it, it may be a good idea for me to give him your number, if that's alright with you of course? Just so that you can thank him in person".

"Sure. I mean you trust him right"?

"Eyal? Oh yeah, I trust him more than I trust some people here at the CIA".

Ella smiled. "A friend of yours is a friend of mine. Give him my number".

Annie stood and nodded. "It's actually too bad that you two met under those circumstances in Vienna".

"Why do you say that"?

"I think you two would get along quite well", said Annie as she walked away. She then turned around and looked at Ella.

"By the way, how was National Day at the Embassy last week? Hans behaved I hope"?

"Quite the gentleman", replied Ella before returning her attention to her computer screen.

"You want to tell me the truth"? asked Auggie as Ella walked into his office.

"What are you talking about"?

"You can fool Annie but not me".

"Fool Annie about what"?

"You're little run in with Eyal".

"I have no idea what you're talking about".

"Of course, you do. Remember I sense things that are unsaid, my friend".

"Oh yeah, like what in this case Auggie"?

"Like the way your breathing accelerated every time she mentioned Eyal's name".

"Well, gee, that's not difficult now is it. Every time I hear his name, I remember that I almost died. Wouldn't that accelerate your breathing"?

"Possibly. I could be wrong, but that kind of breathing is not fear but more anticipation".

"Don't quit your day job", replied Ella.

"What have you got for me, other than breathing analysis"? asked Ella.

"Nothing", replied Auggie.

He leaned back in his chair and joined his hands.

"What were you looking for exactly? And why ask me to do it off the book"?

Ella sighed. "I don't know Auggie. Something just felt off at the Embassy the other night. I just wanted to make sure that Max or Hans weren't in some kind of trouble".

"Well, nothing that I could find. Aside from Max who apparently has more than just one flight attendant in his life, which we can't classify as trouble, they are both as clean as a whistle".

Ella frowned. "Don't you find that too clean? I mean we all have skeletons in our closets. Mistakes we've made that we try to keep hidden from others. No one is perfect, Auggie and Hans seems too perfect for me".

Auggie shrugged. "Unless you've got something that I can work with, he is perfection. And remind me never to open one of your closets".

Ella nudged him as she headed away. "Even if you didn't, you wouldn't be able to see the skeleton"!


	12. Chapter 12

_**The following morning**_

An agent walked up to Annie as she was talking with Auggie.

"Ms. Walker, we have someone out front needing to talk to you. He says it's extremely important and he seems quite agitated".

"Did he say who he was"? asked Annie perplexed.

"No and I have to admit, I forgot to ask".

Auggie rolled his eyes.

"Fine", said Annie. "I'm coming".

"Any idea who it could be"?

Annie looked at her watch. It was quarter past eight.. early and the others of the DPD were only starting to arrive. "Not the slightest idea".

Annie headed towards the reception area and could hear people talking loudly, the voices intertwined in some sort of chaotic chatter.

"Eyal"?! said Annie in surprise.

She joined him and looked at the security agent. "It's alright. I've got this". She then turned to Eyal. "What are you doing here? And what is all this about"?

Eyal looked at her with strong, non-wavering eyes. "I think Ella's in danger"!

Annie blinked a couple of times. "What do you mean you think Ella is in danger"?

"I was on the phone with her yesterday as she was heading up to her apartment and then the line went dead".

"Maybe her phone battery died", said Annie as she shifted from one foot to the other.

"I drove down from Niagara Falls and tried to call her all night. You'd think if her battery was dead, she'd charge it and turn her phone back on".

"Unless she didn't want to talk to you", replied Annie trying to defuse the situation.

"Neshama, you know that I'm not one to worry easily, but I think something is wrong and I may be partly responsible for what is happening".

Annie looked at him and saw genuine concern in his eyes. "Alright, let's get you a visitor's badge and we'll try to get in touch with Ella".

Auggie lifted his head from the computer when Annie walked in. "Eyal Lavine"?

"Let me guess", said Eyal, "my aftershave was what tipped me off? Nice to see you again Auggie".

"Auggie, can you try to call Ella for us, please"?

Auggie nodded. "Coming right up. What's going on"?

"Eyal fears that Ella might be in trouble".

"Why"?

He then looked towards Annie and Eyal. "Went directly to voicemail".

"I told you", said Eyal as he looked at Annie.

"Eyal, it could be anything really. Maybe her phone is having a malfunction, maybe her charger broke. I'm sure she'll walk through that door any minute now", said Annie as she pointed to the DPD door".

Auggie looked in Eyal's direction. "What makes you think she's in trouble"?

"I wouldn't say trouble. I'd say danger". He took a deep breath in. "Did Ella ever mention anything about Hans Beekman or Max"?

Auggie frowned. "What's going on"?

Annie looked from Auggie to Eyal and back to Auggie. "Yeah what is going on? You don't seem surprised by what Eyal is asking Auggie.. Why"?

"A week after she went to the National Day Gala at the Embassy, Ella asked me to look into Hans and Max off the record".

Eyal clenched his jaws. Realizing more and more that if something had happened, he was responsible.

"Why"? asked Annie.

"She thought they might be in some kind of trouble, but I couldn't find anything".

Annie frowned. "Why would she think that they were in trouble"?

"I was at the gala", said Eyal, making it so that both Annie and Auggie turned their attention on him.

"I was there for an op. The Mossad needed me to get intel on Hans. He's suspected of trafficking and selling women to important businessmen around the world".

Annie closed her eyes for a brief second. "And let me guess.. you asked Ella for help".

"No. I told her why I was there, to not blow my cover and out of respect for a fellow agency employee, but she was the one who decided to help me. She told Hans and Max a story, then managed for us to get inside Hans' office. We almost got caught but I managed to get the intel I needed and plant Spyware in his tablet".

"What was your story"? asked Auggie.

"Ella said I was her German fiancé, it worked with my cover".

"You say you almost got caught, I don't understand".

"The Spyware hadn't finished uploading. So we pretended to be making out on Hans' desk".

Auggie smiled and raised his eyebrows.. "You and Ella making out? Was that her idea or yours"?

"That is irrelevant. Afterwards, Hans asked to speak to Ella alone and to not blow my cover, I left the room and waited for her downstairs".

"What happened when she joined you"?

"She looked rattled. There was a big red hand mark on her arm. Hans was watching the whole thing, so we were discreet and at the same time in our cover story".

"We need to go talk to Joan, right now", said Annie as she nodded to Eyal to follow. "Auggie, try and locate the last position where Ella's phone was active".

Auggie nodded and turned his attention to the computer whilst Eyal and Annie headed over to speak with Joan.

Joan was fulminating.

"We'll discuss later on, that a little head's up from the Mossad, would have been a nice. Right now, we need to try and find out about Ella".

Auggie walked in. "Still no contact. Last place her phone pinged one of the towers was last night at her apartment building and she still hasn't badged in today".

"Alright", said Joan. "Annie and Eyal, you guys head over to Ella's apartment and see what you can find. And keep me posted. If she's been taken, our window of opportunity may be small".


	13. Chapter 13

The ride over to Ella's place was quiet. Neither Annie nor Eyal spoke.

When they pulled up, he looked around. It was a nice, modern apartment residence, within some sort of public park ground. It seemed rather quiet and pleasant and he could indeed see why Ella lived here.

They stopped in front of the main door and peered inside.

"There is a concierge. There's no way he'll let us in to her apartment".

"Is there any way we can get in without him knowing"? asked Eyal.

"Not really, the back door is only accessible to residents with their key card and it's on the fourth floor. Not like we can climb up the outer wall".

Eyal sighed. "Ok then, we tell the truth".

"Like that will work", snapped back Annie.

Eyal looked at her. "What is it"?

"Nothing".

"Bullshit. Tell me, I can handle it".

Annie shook her head.

"You blame me", replied Eyal.

"I don't know. You were doing your job, I just wish you had kept that to yourself".

Eyal softened his stare on her and she saw the guilt and pain in his eyes. "You don't think I've been thinking about that since last night. My intention was never for her to get involved or hurt in the process".

"Let's hope we're worrying for nothing", replied Annie in a softer tone. She realized that Eyal was beating himself up for the both of them.

They walked in and the concierge looked at them.

"Good morning. We work with Gabriella Peeters who lives on the 4th floor. We fear that something might have happened to her. Is there any way you can let us up and knock on her door"? asked Eyal concerned.

"What do you mean something happened to her"? asked the concierge his eyebrows raised.

"Maybe she's had a health problem? We can't seem to get a hold of her and as colleagues we're naturally concerned about her well-being", continued Annie.

"When was the last time you saw Miss Peeters"?

"Last night upon her return from work".

"So you didn't, see her this morning"?

They saw the concierge search his mind. "Come to think of it, no. But that doesn't mean anything".

"I understand your side of it, you are here to protect the inhabitants of this building. But if something has happened to Ella, wouldn't you want to be able to do everything in your power to help her"?

The concierge seemed to hesitate.

"Look come up with us, we've got nothing to hide".

"Seems like a good idea. I've got a spare key, I'll go with you, just in case Miss Peeters is there".

They headed up with the concierge and stepped out into the hallway. When they reached Ella's apartment, the concierge stopped as he looked at the door that was slightly ajar.

Annie and Eyal looked at each other. Eyal took out his gun and armed it as he motioned to the concierge to step back.

Eyal pushed the door slightly open, ready to shoot if necessary, and let himself into Ella's apartment, Annie following behind him.

They cautiously walked down the small corridor and into the living room and dining room. As they looked around, they noticed that a few chairs were knocked over as well as broken vases and various decoration items. The open kitchen seemed untouched. It was obvious that there had been a struggle.

Eyal kept moving, towards where he imagined her bathroom and bedroom to be, his breath held in fear of what he may find. The first time he had seen her, even if he hadn't known her back then, was not something he wanted to see again, especially now.

He pushed, one of the closed doors, open. He entered, the bathroom and closed briefly his eyes before pulling the shower curtain back. He exhaled when he realized Ella wasn't there. He joined Annie in the hallway.

"She's not in the bedroom either", she said as she put her gun away.

"He must have taken her", replied Eyal as he did the same with his gun.

"Yeah, but who"?

"Hans or someone who works for him".

"I'll go talk to the concierge. The last thing we need is the police or the FBI taking this over", said Annie.

"I agree. If they get their hands on it, who knows what will happen to Ella then".

Eyal looked around the living room and dining room while Annie tried to convince the concierge that they were handling everything with the cops directly and he should return to his desk as if nothing was happening, to not cause chaos or worry for the other tenants.

The furniture and decorations were simple and of great taste. The colors were mostly soft and pastel-like. It was cozy and he could imagine Ella retreating here every night after work or after every op abroad, away from all the chaos, a candle lit, soft music playing in the background and her curled up on the sofa.

A picture in a frame caught his attention and he walked over to it to see it better. Ella must have been 5, maybe 6 years old, and she was standing in between what appeared to be her parents, on a pier. She was smiling with the broadest of smiles and her eyes were sparkling, just the way they had the night at the gala when she was talking to him.

Annie joined him. "I spoke to Joan, their sending a team over. When they get here, we'll meet her at the Embassy".

"The Embassy"? asked Eyal.

"It's the only lead we have, Eyal".

"It's a waste of time. You really think that if Hans is there, he'll willingly talk to the CIA and give us information about Ella's whereabouts? Why don't we simply try to locate Hans through the Spyware we planted on his tablet"?

"He's a diplomat, we can't just go after him without following protocol. We could all lose our jobs".

Eyal shrugged. "I'm not CIA", as he headed towards Ella's room.

He could have felt some sort of guilt for being in her apartment and her intimacy, but he wanted to know how she lived.

The bedroom wasn't any different than the rest of the house. She had a queen sized bed and a couple of pillows. There was no television but a bookshelf that was rather filled up with different kinds of books. There was no clutter, no mess. Everything had its place. She was organized, that was for sure.

And most of all, no sign of a significant other, which meant that she was most probably still single.

Annie walked over. "The team just got here, they're on their way up".

She then looked at him and tilted her head to the side. "You like her, don't you? A lot".

Eyal looked at Annie. He nodded slightly. "Yeah, I like her, which is weird because I hardly know her. All I know is that the more I see her, the more I want to get to know her. I don't know how to explain it, I'm drawn to her".

Annie smiled. "She's worth getting to know. Hopefully, you'll have that privilege".

"I hope so. Do me a favor"?

"What? Keep this between us"?

Eyal looked at her surprised.

"No. Stop setting her up with guys".

Annie lifted an eyebrow and smirked. "You like her that much huh? What's the matter? You're afraid of a little competition"?

He gave her a confident smile. "I'm not afraid of competition, but at least I know I can hope to get her undivided attention".


	14. Chapter 14

A half an hour later, they parked the car at the Embassy.

Annie opened the door and got out of the car and realized that Eyal wasn't doing the same. "Aren't you coming"?

"My cover might come in handy, I don't want to blow it, and if my hunch is right, Hans won't be here".

Annie rolled her eyes at him. "Why do you say that"?

"I'm telling you, Hans has Ella and I will bet you that he left the country during the night, the minute she was taken".

Annie frowned as she closed the door and headed to the Embassy doors where Joan was waiting for her.

"Where's Eyal"? asked Joan slightly concerned.

"He's staying in the car. He's convinced that Hans already has Ella and he's not even here".

"You don't think it's possible"? asked Joan as they walked inside the building.

"I'm more hoping it's not the case".

Max met them both inside the main hall. "Joan, it's a pleasure to see you again. You mentioned over the phone that it was important. How can I be of assistance"?

Joan shook his hand. "Max is Hans here"?

"No, he took a couple of days off".

"Do you happen to know when he left and where he was going"?

"Let me think. He left yesterday and I believe he was heading for the French Riviera".

Annie looked at Joan and raised an eyebrow.

Max noticed their glance. "Is something wrong? Has something happened to Hans"?

"Not that we are aware of", replied Joan. "When Ella came to the Independence Day gala, did you notice anything strange during the evening"?

He furrowed his eyebrows. "In regards to Ella"?

"Not really. She came alone and her fiancé met up with her here".

"Decker"? asked innocently Annie.

"Yes, I believe that was his name Decker Schmitt".

"How were things between Ella and Hans? I know he can give Ella a hard time", said Joan.

"Actually from I witnessed he was quite descent with her. Although I heard through one of the guards that there was a slight incident".

"What kind of incident"?!

"Ella and Herr Schmitt were caught in quite an awkward situation in Hans' office. Hans asked to speak to Ella afterwards. I felt bad, it was partly my fault".

"What do you mean"? asked Annie.

"Ella came to me and asked where she and Herr Schmitt could spend some time alone, he was only in the country for a couple of hours. I told her to go into Hans' office. I had no idea he would leave the gala and head back upstairs".

"Did the guard go into the room with Hans"?

"No. He stayed at the door and waited there for them to exit".

"Is the guard here today"?

"Yes, but what is going on"?!

Joan looked at Max. "Max, I promise you that once I've spoken to the guard, I'll give you more details".

Eyal fidgeted in the car. He felt helpless and they were losing time. Two things he hated the most. He got out of the car, took his phone out and walked around.

"Auggie, can you do me a favor"?

"Anything, I'm restless waiting for some lead to find Ella back".

"Can you check out of the various airports in and around Washington DC to see if any private planes left a couple of hours after I spoke to Ella"?

"You think he took her out of the country"?

"I think so".

"Alright I'm on it. I'll call you back when I've got the intel".

As Eyal hung up, he saw a man in a guard suit, jump out the window quietly. He blinked a couple of times then ran after the guy, it was obvious he was trying to get away from something or someone.

Eyal caught up with him and jumped him. He lifted the guy and aimed his gun at him. Annie arrived by their side and joined them.

"Thanks".

Eyal looked at the guard and it dawned on him. "He's the guard that was with Hans' that night".

They looked at him.

"What happened to your face"? asked Annie pointing at the scratch marks on his cheek.

"Cat", replied the guard impassively.

"Big cat", replied Annie as she looked at it closer. It was evident that they had been done by someone. "Looks to me like you got into a fight with someone. You want to change your story"?

The guy sneered at her and it sent Eyal's blood boiling. He grabbed the guard and pushed him against the wall, planting the barrel of his gun on his forehead.

"Where is she?! Where is Ella Peeters"?!

The guard snickered. "You're too late, you'll never find her".

Eyal leaned in towards him and Annie feared the worst. "When I find her, and I will find her, I'll make sure you rot in the worst possible jail ever".

Annie cuffed him and brought him to Joan.


	15. Chapter 15

Eyal and Joan watched as Annie questioned the guard into one of the inquiry rooms. They had taken swabs of the scratches on his face hoping to find Ella's DNA on it. Joan joined Annie hoping that she could help in getting some intel.

Auggie was still trying to narrow down the flights. Hans' tablet hadn't been turned on since Ella had disappeared and therefore it was impossible to use it to trace his whereabouts.

Auggie turned and faced where Eyal was.

"You continuously pacing the floor is not going to help".

Eyal stopped and looked at him. "I feel helpless and it's not something I'm used to feeling".

"Maybe there is a way to get more information. You mentioned that these women were sold to important foreign business men and the only way to handle this kind of stuff is to go through the dark net".

Eyal nodded and grabbed a chair to sit next to Auggie. "It appears as though these sales take place once a quarter and the city where it's held changes every time".

"Alright, so we're looking for a sort of ad or forum that sells goods and would be doing it over the next couple of days, as the quarter is almost over".

Auggie started typing away all the while reading with his fingers the braille information that was coming up.

"They're not going to put it out in the open that they are selling women", said Eyal.

"That's obvious, although on the dark web, things like that are less taboo then you'd think. They would need to use something that would allow them to give as much information about the merchandise without brining on suspicions".

"What could they compare women to"? asked Eyal as he looked at the different ads and forums that were scrolling down on Auggie's screen. "Dogs, cats"?

Suddenly Auggie stopped scrolling down and smiled. "Nope. Cars".

"Cars"?

"Check out this ad. It's selling top quality rare international car models".

"Cars don't cover all nationalities".

"Agree", replied Auggie, "but they mention that some of the car models are coming from particular countries".

Eyal nodded. "Alright so what do we have; a Ferrari, an Audi, a Lotus, a Lexus and an Infiniti".

"That gives us an Italian, a German, English, Japanese and Chinese".

"No American", said Eyal as he shook his head.

"Hang on", said Auggie as he continued to scroll though the ad, "I think we've got ourselves a winner. The ad specifies that they are selling a very special Acura RLX Hybrid".

At first Eyal was going to protest that Acura wasn't American, then he remembered that Ella had both the Belgian and the American nationality. She was a hybrid.

Joan and Annie came in. "He's not talking and we can't break him".

"We might not need to", replied Eyal. "We may have found what we are looking for".

Both Eyal and Auggie explained what they had found.

"How do we get the date and whereabouts to this"? asked Joan.

"That is where it gets nearly impossible to obtain the information. You need to send in your bank statement and if it states less than 2 million US Dollars on it, you can't take part in the sale. After that, you're contacted with further details".

"Why can't we create a false account"? asked Annie.

"Trust me people who use the dark web have skills that will allow them to realize it's a cover. If we want in, we need to do it in a legit way".

Joan nodded "And I doubt that the CIA will put that much cash on an account for an op that we aren't even a 100% sure it's the right one. What about the Mossad? They've been trying to get Hans, can't they provide the cash"?

Eyal shook his head. "The Mossad doesn't even give a dime for their own agents, they're not going to hand over 2 million dollars to get Ella and Hans".

"We've hit a dead-end", said Auggie angrily. "We're so close"!

Annie looked at them. "There may be someone who can help", she said as she left the room and walked out of DPD.


End file.
